Patient Safety

Checklists, Culture of Accountability are Reinvigorating the Patient Safety Movement

The use of a medical or surgical checklist is now a familiar activity for many healthcare professionals, but experts are asking if they are impacting patient outcomes and contributing to patient safety in a meaningful way. And now, the data from a new study are indicating ...More
April 18, 2011
Posted in Articles
APIC Supports HHS "Partnership for Patients" Initiative

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has issued a statement strongly supporting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recently announced Partnership for Patients initiative. The statement is as follows: "APIC shares the ...More
April 13, 2011
Posted in News
HHS Announces National Campaign to Improve Patient Safety

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today a initiative to improve patient safety in hospitals across the country. The "Partnership for Patients" is a collaborative effort between the federal government, hospitals, care providers and community ...More
April 12, 2011
Posted in News
Unreliable Outcomes Measures Hamper Efforts to Assure Better, Safer Care

With a push to make hospitals and doctors more accountable for health care quality, more attention must be paid to the accuracy and reliability of measures used to evaluate caregivers, says a prominent Johns Hopkins patient safety expert. Writing in the April issue of the ...More
April 8, 2011
Posted in News
Joint Commission Releases Second Video in the "Speak Up" Series

The Joint Commission announces the release of its second animated Speak Up™ video, "Speak Up: Infection Control," which encourages patients to speak up and become active participants in their healthcare. The first video was released last month, and points out that patients ...More
April 6, 2011
Posted in News
Survey Reveals Americans' Unhappiness with the Healthcare System, Infections

Seven of 10 adults think the U.S. healthcare system needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey released today. The concerns reflect widespread experiences with access barriers, poorly coordinated care and growing costs. ...More
April 6, 2011
Posted in News
RFID-Based SmartSponge System Helps Prevent Retained Foreign Objects in Surgical Patients

NXP Semiconductors, an RFID leader for multi-applications, announces that ClearCount Medical Solutions has selected NXP RFID solutions to enable its SmartSponge® System. The SmartSponge System can easily and accurately detect and account for surgical sponges placed in a ...More
April 6, 2011
Posted in News
Poll Finds High Levels of Concern About Medical Errors, Support For Public Hospital Safety Ratings

A new poll released today by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found high levels of public concern about hospital-acquired infections and other forms of medical harm as well as support for making it easier for the public to find out how each hospital ranks when ...More
March 31, 2011
Posted in News
Ohio Hospitals Endeavor to Eliminate Serious Safety Events

An effort to improve quality and make Ohio the safest state in the nation for healthcare has garnered national attention. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius visited Nationwide Children's Hospital today to celebrate the achievements of Solutions ...More
March 24, 2011
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene
Communication Breakdowns Undercut the Effectiveness of Safety Tools, Impact Patient Outcomes

Healthcare professionals make calculated decisions daily to not alert their colleagues when a safety tool signals potential harm to a patient, according to a new study of 6,500 nurses and nurse managers released March 22 during a national briefing in at AORN Congress being ...More
March 22, 2011
Posted in News